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Election Polls -- Accuracy Record in Presidential Elections

Gallup Poll Accuracy Record

Year

Candidates

Final
Gallup
Survey

Election
Result

Gallup
Deviation

%

%

%

2008

Obama

55.0

53.0

+2.0

McCain

44.0

46.0

-2.0

2004

Bush

49.0

50.7

-1.7

Kerry

49.0

48.3

+0.7

2000

Bush

48.0

47.9

0.1

Gore

46.0

48.4

-2.4

Nader

4.0

2.7

1.3

1996

Clinton

52.0

49.2

+2.8

Dole

41.0

40.7

0.3

Perot

7.0

8.4

-1.4

1992

Clinton

49.0

43.3

+5.7

Bush

37.0

37.7

-0.7

Perot

14.0

19.0

-5.0

1988

Bush

56.0

53.0

+3.0

Dukakis

44.0

46.1

-2.1

1984

Reagan

59.0

59.2

-0.2

Mondale

41.0

40.8

+0.2

1980

Reagan

47.0

50.8

-3.8

Carter

44.0

41.0

+3.0

Anderson

8.0

6.6

+1.4

Other

1.0

1.6

-0.6

1976

Carter

48.0

50.1

-2.1

Ford

49.0

48.1

+0.9

McCarthy

2.0

0.9

+1.1

Other

1.0

0.9

+0.1

1972

Nixon

62.0

61.8

+0.2

McGovern

38.0

38.2

-0.2

1968

Nixon

43.0

43.5

-0.5

Humphrey

42.0

42.9

-0.9

Wallace

15.0

13.6

+1.4

1964

Johnson

64.0

61.3

+2.7

Goldwater

36.0

38.7

-2.7

1960

Kennedy

50.5

50.1

+0.4

Nixon

49.5

49.9

-0.4

1956

Eisenhower

59.5

57.8

+1.7

Stevenson

40.5

42.2

-1.7

1952

Eisenhower

51.0

55.4

-4.4

Stevenson

49.0

44.6

+4.4

1948

Truman

44.5

49.5

-5.0

Dewey

49.5

45.1

+4.4

Wallace

4.0

2.4

+1.6

Thurmond

2.0

2.0

0.0

1944

Roosevelt

51.5

53.8

-2.3

Dewey

48.5

46.2

+2.3

1940

Roosevelt

52.0

55.0

-3.0

Willkie

48.0

45.0

+3.0

1936

Roosevelt

55.7

62.5

-6.8

Landon

44.3

37.5

+6.8

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